Emergence by Woods Adrienne

Author:Woods, Adrienne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fire Quill publishing
Published: 2024-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Eighteen

That morning I met Claude.

He was somewhere in his twenties and as broody as they came. He reminded me a little of Gabe, but only personality-wise. His hair was as red as hair could be, and his face was dusted with freckles, more than Denver’s face. It didn’t work for him the way it worked for Denver.

He was much taller than Denver, and his clothes looked two sizes too big for him.

“Princess.” There was hardly a tone to his voice.

“Claude.” My lips curved as I reached out my hand to shake his.

He just stared at it, so I let it drop.

I shouldn’t go out of my way like I did with Denver, and I wondered what my mom and him were talking about now.

Shit, was this the reason my father had given him to her?

No, she’d apologized.

“Follow me,” Claude instructed.

Could it be what their fight had been about? I swallowed hard. What if she was asking him about me? Or, worse. What if he telling her that I have a relationship with Gabe?

Stop thinking the worst of people.

He’d promised he would keep that secret for me.

I suddenly felt on edge that I couldn’t speak to him.

Still, she’d tried to get into my phone last night. Why else would it be blocked?

Claude wasn’t very talkative, and his blood didn’t taste like Denver’s blood either. It had a weird, funny taste.

I was early around the breakfast table, trying to process whatever was in my head today. Not knowing whether it was true, it worked on forming more knots in my stomach.

“Kiddo, didn’t you feed this morning?”

“No, I did. Claude isn’t very talkative, Dad.”

He chuckled, understanding my meaning. I looked at him. I really wanted to know what they had fought about, but I was scared to ask.

Richard was on duty this morning and placed my breakfast in front of me.

“Thank you, Richard.”

The butler smiled and bowed.

“You don’t have to keep thanking them, kiddo.”

“It’s how I was raised.” I froze and closed my eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t—”

“Stop apologizing. I get what it is you are saying. Maybe we should all be grateful for what it is they do for us and say thanks.”

Chuckles came from the wall, but Richard didn’t say anything.

I dug in as Dad smeared his toast.

Mom and Viola’s voices entered the dining hall, and my father got up, kissed Mom on both her cheeks as she pulled her chair out and sat down.

I felt her eyes on me, and I struggled to get my locked phone out of my head.

She opened her napkin and laid it on her lap.

“Nobody taught Annedale to rise when the queen comes down for breakfast?”

I froze.

“Sorry, love. It was wrong of me. I’ve been so busy lately with running the kingdom that I didn’t pay much attention to etiquette.”

Viola winked at me.

Mom smiled at Dad. “Not to worry, something for us to bond over.” She smiled at me, and I took a very slow deep breath. “Thank you for giving me Denver. You were right about him; he helps a lot putting me at ease.

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